Olivia Clark has worked in state, local, and regional politics and policy for decades, including stints working with cities, DEQ, the Kitzhaber Administration, and TriMet. In this episode, she reflects on how her previous work will inform her approach as a Portland City Councilor. We discuss her work for Gov. Kitzhaber, the challenges she navigated in that period, and why she stayed for nearly two full terms.
Olivia also offers her explanation for what went wrong in Portland over the last decade or two--and what can be done to fix it. She gives her vision for making the layers of government work together more effectively, and how she would approach the job of councilor in this new form of government.